These days, pretty much every marketplace is crowded. No matter what you do or how well you do it, you can bet that countless other businesses will offer the same general services, quality, and prices that you do. One way to help your business stand out is to develop a brand personality. This is a set of traits, behaviors, and values that your brand can display in all its outreach materials, which a human audience can relate to.
For big corporations, brand personalities can take years of research and discussion to pinpoint and develop. But a much faster, simpler method is choosing a brand archetype—a type of category that sums up your brand “in a nutshell.” Below are some of the most common brand archetypes, with examples of successful brands that demonstrate them.
The Rebel
Description: Sometimes also called “The Outlaw,” The Rebel is an edgy, anti-establishment archetype that is fueled by a desire for disobedience and divergence. Rebel brands display a distain for rules and conformity, and use messages laced with grit and attitude.
Example: It’s hard to think of a brand that does this better than Harley-Davidson. Known for its association with outlaw biker culture, Harley-Davidson has built a strong brand identity around its rebellious persona.
The Caregiver
Description: Caregivers brands are primarily driven by their desire to, well, care. Most companies in the healthcare and childcare sectors adopt this personality, but it can appear in other industries, too. Caregiver brands evoke warmth, thoughtfulness, generosity, and concern. They offer sensitive or vulnerable buyers a feeling of safety.
Example: TOMS shoes is a great example of a brand that’s adopted a Caring brand archetype. The company strives to indicate in all its communications that it is warm, reassuring, supportive, and dedicated to helping others. It offers its customers a “feel-good” reward whenever they make a purchase, or when they interact with the brand at all.
The Everyman
Description: The Everyman is a simple, sensible archetype for regular folks. These brands appeal to buyers who eschew glitz and glamour, and who desire authenticity and simplicity. In marketing materials, these brands are friendly, easygoing, and down-to-Earth.
Example: IKEA is a no-nonsense brand that doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. It appeals to normal, everyday people who want simple solutions without any hassle. Like its products, IKEA branding materials are straightforward, utilitarian, and frill-free.
The Ruler
Description: Ruler brands are confident, in-control, and just a little bit arrogant. They know that they are the best, and want others to know it, too. Their primary marketing strategy is to make customers feel that they are part of an exclusive V.I.P. club, above everyone else.
Example: Many luxury brands have successfully embraced the “Ruler” brand archetype, including Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Rolls-Royce. Mercedes-Benz, in particular, has run many successful ad campaigns demonstrating its superiority, exclusivity, and luxury.
The Creator/Innovator
Description: Creator brands are visionaries with something new to bring to the table. They are driven by a desire to imagine, introduce, and perfect new solutions, and to take industries and people in unforeseen directions. Creator brand content is inspiring and motivational, encouraging audiences’ imagination and self-expression.
Example: The best example of a modern Innovator brand is, hands-down, Apple. Apple has built a strong reputation for being a visionary company, motivated to break boundaries and forge new paths. Apple encourages its customers to express themselves, and has become a symbol of creativity, originality, and nonconformity.
The Sage
Description: The Sage is a voice of wisdom and knowledge that can lend guidance to those in need. Brands ascribing to the Sage archetype will typically use elevated vocabulary, long sentences, and factual, well-researched information. They strive to evoke a caring parent, teacher, or counselor, patiently answering questions and soothing anxieties.
Example: Google is a good example of a brand which often assumes a professor-like role (albeit a modern professor with trendy kicks). It aspires to guide consumers to knowledge, and addresses audiences with intelligence, wisdom and expertise.
The Adventurer
Description: The Adventurer brand archetype is characterized by a deep-seated desire for exploration. They want to travel through uncharted territories, discover new horizons or new ways of doing things, and dedicate themselves to the pursuit of new experiences.
Example: Known for their rugged vehicles designed to navigate challenging terrains, Jeep is almost synonymous with adventure and exploration. The brand appeals to individuals who value freedom, independence, and the thrill of discovery. Its marketing campaigns often feature images of outdoor adventures and daring expeditions.
The Jester
Description: Everyone loves a class clown, and that’s what a Jester is—joyful, irreverent, and funny. Boldly original, irreverent and mischievous, this archetype sees life as a wild and crazy playground of opportunity. When executed well, the Jester personality can be a memorable point of differentiation for a brand.
Example: The food and beverage space are full of Jester brand archetypes, but they can also pop up in everything from insurance to software. Geico, Dollar Shave Club, Old Spice, and Cards Against Humanity are all brands which use comedic, often-viral marketing to set themselves apart.
The Hero
Description: Just as the name implies, Heroes are here to save the day. They are capable, reliable, and trustworthy. They meet challenges head-on, help others whenever they can, and stand up for what’s right.
Example: Many law firms embrace this personality, peppering their communications with action words like “fight” and “defend.” Cleaning products also tend to brand themselves as Heroes, “rescuing” customers from small household catastrophes. Sports brands like Nike, Adidas, and Gatorade are other prominent Hero brands.
The Lover
Description: If you’ve ever seen a chocolate commercial that seemed a bit…too passionate, you’ve seen marketing from a Lover-aligned brand. “Lover” brands promise their customers intimacy, closeness, and pleasure. While this can often seem a bit silly, it is a powerful selling strategy. Humans crave comfort and connection, and many are drawn to brands which place those elements at the core of their brand strategy.
Example: Chocolate, diamond rings, and lacy underthings are all products we associate with love and intimacy, so it should come as no surprise that some of the biggest Lover brands are Victoria’s Secret, Godiva Chocolate, and Tiffany & Co. All three are experts at emphasizing beauty, comfort, and indulgence in their messaging.
Choosing a brand archetype: final thoughts
If you find yourself attracted to more than one of these archetypes, don’t worry. These descriptions are intended to serve as helpful tools, not restrictive ordinances. There’s nothing stopping you from injecting your branded content with elements of compassion, wisdom, or rebelliousness.
In order to maintain a consistent voice, though, you might want to select one core archetype to influence about 70% of your content. This will keep your brand personality from becoming confusing, and will help you make connections with your audience.
Another good tip to use when choosing a brand archetype is to go against the grain of your industry. For example, almost all insurance companies are going to have Hero archetypes. What if you used a Rebel or Adventurer archetype instead? Most healthcare practitioners are going to be Caregivers. But is there a way to respectfully introduce Jester elements into your brand? If you can differentiate your brand from your competitors, you’ll be more likely to be memorable.
When your brand look, feel, tone, attitude, opinions and vocabulary are aligned and are all working together, you will have a brand with a humanistic and memorable personality that your audience will find easy to care for.
SSI Packaging is a small, family-owned business based in Richmond, VA. Our goal is to help small business owners flourish through advice, tips, and quality marking and packaging products. Be sure to check out the rest of our blog here.